# Block Borrower: Tool & Supply Lending Ledger ## The Problem The average American household owns $9,000 worth of stuff used fewer than five times per year—pressure washers, tile saws, carpet cleaners, extension ladders, camping gear. Meanwhile, their neighbor is loading an identical $300 tool into their cart at Home Depot for a single weekend project. This isn't a shopping problem; it's a visibility problem. Neighbors don't know what's three doors down because nobody's keeping track. ## Who Uses It **The Weekend Warrior** — Owns a garage full of specialized tools from past projects. Happy to lend but tired of forgetting who has their reciprocating saw. Wants a simple way to say "yes, I have this" and track its whereabouts. **The New Homeowner** — Just bought a house and facing their first fence repair, gutter clean-out, or tree trimming. Doesn't want to buy tools they'll use once. Willing to ask neighbors but doesn't know who to ask. **The Neighborhood Connector** — The person who already knows everyone on the block. Natural fit to seed the initial inventory and encourage adoption. Might be a block captain, HOA board member, or just the friendly type. **The Apartment Dweller with Odd Needs** — Lives in a complex but occasionally needs a dolly, shop vac, or power drill. Has nowhere to store tools but neighbors in nearby single-family homes might. ## Core Features 1. **Public Lending Shelf** — Anyone can add an item to the neighborhood ledger with a name, optional photo, general availability ("weekends only," "anytime"), and pickup instructions ("text me first," "on my porch"). No account required to browse; simple email/phone verification to list. 2. **Borrow Button with Handoff Log** — When someone wants an item, they tap "Borrow," enter their name and contact info, and the item shows as "Out" with who has it. The owner gets notified. When returned, either party can mark it back as "Available." 3. **Item Timeline** — Every item keeps a simple log: who borrowed it, when, and any notes ("returned with fresh blade," "needs new battery"). This builds trust and surfaces items that get heavy use vs. those collecting dust. 4. **Neighborhood Boundary Setting** — A ledger belongs to a defined area—could be a street, a subdivision, a ZIP code, or a custom-drawn boundary. Admins set this at creation. Multiple overlapping ledgers are fine; some items might be street-only, others neighborhood-wide. 5. **"I'm Looking For" Posts** — Flip side of the shelf: someone can post a need ("Anyone have a carpet cleaner this weekend?"). Neighbors with unlisted items can respond. Posts auto-expire after 7 days. 6. **Trust Nudges, Not Enforcement** — No deposits, no fees, no identity verification beyond basic contact. Instead, gentle social accountability: "You've had this 14 days—still need it?" and public visibility of who has what. If someone ghosts with a tool, the owner flags it and that borrower's history shows the flag. 7. **Exportable Inventory** — Any lender can export their own listed items as a simple CSV or printable list. Useful for insurance documentation or moving. ## WellSpr.ing Integration Points ### MCP Tools (POST https://wellspr.ing/mcp, JSON-RPC 2.0) | Tool | How Block Borrower Uses It | |------|---------------------------| | `get_free_items` | Bootstrap the ledger by surfacing items already listed as free/available in the local WellSpr.ing network. Show these as "Also available nearby" to expand perceived inventory beyond what neighbors have directly registered. | | `ask_ody` | Power a conversational search: "What do I need to build a raised garden bed?" → Ody returns a tool list → Block Borrower checks which are available locally and which the user would need to source elsewhere. | | `get_businesses` | When an item isn't available from neighbors, suggest local hardware stores or rental shops as fallback. "No post-hole digger on the ledger, but Johnson's Hardware (0.4 mi) rents them for $35/day." | | `get_business_detail` | Pull hours, phone, and location for suggested rental fallbacks so users can act immediately. | | `search_civic_services` | Surface relevant city programs—some municipalities run tool libraries or have community centers that lend equipment. If one exists locally, show it prominently. | | `get_federation` | Identify if adjacent WellSpr.ing nodes have active Block Borrower instances. Enable opt-in cross-neighborhood lending for high-value items (e.g., "Expand search to Riverside neighborhood?"). | | `get_adjacent_nodes` | Discover neighboring community nodes to suggest ledger federation or cross-posting of rare items. | | `submit_business` | **Future: covenant commerce** — When a neighbor starts lending frequently, offer to register them as a community micro-lender in the WellSpr.ing directory. Not yet live; build the hook but disable until API supports it. | | `reach_number` | Enable in-app contact without exposing personal phone numbers. When a borrower clicks "Contact Owner," route through WellSpr.ing's reach_number to preserve privacy. | ### REST Endpoints | Endpoint | Usage | |----------|-------| | `GET /api/geo/portals?area_code=NNN` | On ledger creation, suggest geographic boundaries based on area code. Also useful for "Find a ledger near me" discovery. | ### WCIB Endpoints | Endpoint | Usage | |----------|-------| | `GET /api/wcib/ideas` | Show related civic project ideas on an "Inspired by" footer—e.g., links to tool library, repair café, or mutual aid projects. | | `POST /api/wcib/ody-ask` | Alternative Ody integration for project-planning assistance surfaced to power users who want to organize larger community lending programs. | ### Not Yet Available (Roadmap) - **Merchant registration for frequent lenders** — Roadmap: covenant commerce. Build UI stub, disable until `submit_business` supports individual lender profiles. - **Payment rails for optional deposits** — Roadmap: not yet live. Some neighbors may want refundable deposits for high-value items; design the UX but implement as "coming soon." - **Verified identity badges** — Roadmap: not yet live. Trust currently relies on social accountability, not ID verification. ## Data Model ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ LEDGERS │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ id (uuid) │ │ name (varchar) — "Maple Street Tool Share" │ │ boundary_description (text) — "200-400 block of Maple St" │ │ area_code (varchar) — for geo/portals lookup │ │ created_by_email (varchar) │ │ created_at (timestamp) │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ITEMS │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ id (uuid) │ │ ledger_id (uuid, FK) │ │ name (varchar) — "16ft extension ladder"